Parent and family visas

The waiting times, stated plainly

This belongs at the top rather than buried, because families make irreversible decisions on it. As at 31 May 2026 the Department of Home Affairs published an estimated processing time of approximately 15 years for contributory parent visas and approximately 33 years for the non-contributory Parent and Aged Parent visas. At that date the queue had been released to applications lodged around November 2018 for contributory applications and around February 2014 for non-contributory ones. These are the Department's own estimates rather than guarantees, and they change - but they are the honest starting point for any conversation about bringing a parent to Australia, and we will not soften them. Check the current figures before you commit, because they move.

Contributory and non-contributory pathways

Both pathways lead to permanent residence and both require the balance of family test. The difference is money against time.

• Non-contributory - the Parent visa (subclass 103) and the Aged Parent visa (subclass 804). A much lower application charge, and the queue described above.
• Contributory - the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) and its temporary counterpart (subclass 173), and the Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864) and its temporary counterpart (subclass 884). A substantially higher charge, in exchange for a materially shorter queue.

The balance of family test

This decides eligibility for most families before anything else is considered. An applicant passes if at least half of their living children are eligible children - broadly, Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents usually resident in Australia, or eligible New Zealand citizens usually resident here - or if more of their children live in Australia than in any other single country. Stepchildren count. A child only temporarily in Australia is generally not usually resident. The test cannot be waived in any circumstances, which means a family that does not pass it is not going to succeed in these categories no matter how strong the rest of the application is, and time spent on the parent categories is time lost. Working this out first is the single most useful thing we do on these matters.

Onshore or offshore, and what it does to bridging rights

Where the application is lodged changes what happens during the wait. An applicant who lodges in Australia while holding a substantive visa may be granted a bridging visa allowing them to remain lawfully while the application is assessed, though the conditions attached, including any work rights, depend on their immigration history and the visa held immediately before. An applicant lodging from outside Australia has no Australian bridging rights and needs an appropriate visa, such as a visitor visa, to be in or return to Australia during the wait. Given the queue lengths, this distinction is not a technicality - it decides where a parent will physically live for years.

The sponsored parent temporary visa

The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870, allows a parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to stay for an extended period, subject to an approved sponsor and other requirements. It is temporary, and it does not itself create a path to permanent residence. Program settings for it change, so its current availability, sponsorship requirements, income and health insurance conditions and duration should be confirmed against the Department's current listing before a family builds a plan around it.

Other family pathways

Where the parent categories are unavailable, a small number of other visas may fit, each assessed narrowly.

• Remaining relative - broadly for a near relative whose only close family are in Australia.
• Carer - broadly for a relative coming to provide substantial and continuing care to an Australian relative with a long-term medical condition.
• Aged dependent relative - broadly for a single older relative substantially dependent on an Australian relative for financial support.

Deciding before you spend

Because the contributory charge is substantial and the non-contributory queue is measured in decades, the decision worth making carefully is the one made before any money moves. Work out whether the balance of family test is met. Work out what the family actually needs - permanent residence eventually, or a parent physically present now, which may point to a temporary option instead. Work out the bridging position if lodging onshore. And price the whole thing, not just the application charge, because health examinations, police clearances and any assurance of support all sit on top.

In English and Vietnamese

These are family conversations before they are legal ones, and they are easier to have properly in your own language. This page has a full Vietnamese counterpart. The work is carried out by lawyers admitted to practise in Western Australia; immigration assistance may also be given by registered migration agents under a separate framework. This page is general information, not advice on your circumstances, and no visa outcome can be guaranteed.

Process

1. 1

   We identify the relationship, the sponsor's status and which pathways are genuinely open.

2. 2

   We assess the balance of family test before anything else, because it decides whether the parent categories are available at all.

3. 3

   We compare contributory against non-contributory, and onshore against offshore, with the current queue and bridging position in front of you.

4. 4

   We gather and check the supporting evidence - identity, relationship, health, character and financial.

5. 5

   We lodge the application and arrange sponsorship approval and any assurance of support required.

6. 6

   We respond to departmental requests over the life of the application, however long it runs.

What to prepare

• Passports and birth certificates for the applicant and the sponsor.
• Evidence of the sponsor's citizenship, permanent residence or eligible New Zealand citizen status.
• Evidence of the relationship, including adoption records where relevant.
• Details and residence status of every living child, for the balance of family test.
• Health examination results.
• Police clearances for each country of residence.
• Financial and dependency evidence, particularly for carer and aged dependent relative applications.
• Assurance of support material where it is required.

Risks, deadlines and common mistakes

• Committing to a non-contributory application without absorbing that the published estimate is measured in decades.
• Applying without passing the balance of family test, which cannot be waived.
• Assuming an onshore lodgement carries bridging rights and work rights, which depends on immigration history.
• Building a plan around the subclass 870 visa without confirming its current settings.
• Treating a higher contributory charge as buying an outcome. It affects queue position, not eligibility, and nothing guarantees a grant.